Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia

The Early Dynastic Period was a period of Mesopotamian history which lasted from 2900 BC to 2350 BC, during which writing was developed and numerous city-states were founded. The era was ushered in following the razing of Uruk and the termination of its hegemony, and several city-states grew in size and population; these city-states included Lagash, Umma, Ur, Nippur, Eridu, Larsa, and Uruk. The population of Sumer grew dramatically due to increasing agricultural productivity and immigration from other regions, which also caused disputes over resources, leading to warfare. During war, the Sumerian city-states created popular assemblies to appoint military commanders, but these positions soon became hereditary, and the first kings emerged as lugals. In 2450 BC, the Lagash-Umma war occurred, one of the first recorded wars in human history. While religion dominated society, kings became progressively more powerful as more wars were fought. In 2350 BC, the era was ended by Sargon of Akkad's conquests, ushering in the Akkadian Empire.